14-Year-Old Charged After Authorities Said He Led Them On Multi-County High Speed Chase

10TV News obtained video on Monday showing the danger authorities said a 14-year-old driver put himself and others in during a high speed chase..

Police said the chase started in Bellefontaine. The driver then made his way through West Liberty before finally ending in Urbana on Saturday morning.

According to Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, a 14-year-old was behind the wheel of a minivan speeding southbound along U.S. Route 68 at speeds up to 100 miles per hour.

10TV News did not immediately name the minor accused in the chase.

Just south of Bellefontaine, troopers put down stop sticks, which flattened the minivan’s front tires.

The stop sticks did not stop the driver, though, who kept driving on metal rims, according to troopers.

When the minivan approached the town of West Liberty, officers there also tried to put out stop sticks, but they were not quick enough.

“They were able to get them out of the trunk and throw them out, but they missed the vehicle they were trying to stop,” Chief Shane Oelker of the West Liberty Police Department.

Oelker said that no one was injured or struck during the chase.

“Watching the video, there doesn’t appear to be any close calls, but that’s still not something you want to take a chance on,” Oelker said. “It is dangerous. It puts not only the officers in danger, but the public that’s innocent.”

About 15 minutes into the chase, the minivan pulled off the road into a the field of a local airport. Investigators said the 14-year-old driver circled around, attempting to get back on the roadway.

According to the dash cam video, the driver tried to squeeze in between two law enforcement vehicles and smashed into a West Liberty cruiser’s front bumper.

The driver then tried to run, but was taken into custody.

The driver faces a long list of charges, including fleeing, assault, criminal damaging and driving without a proper license.

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